He tested the waters with a few more words.
Sure enough, a beautifully detailed character portrait appeared on the panel. The various stats, along with her name, were all displayed as "???". Only her class was labeled as Ranger, and her Affection progress bar stood at 27.
Bai Xiaodu assured her that he would arrive on time.
Her calm voice seemed to soften slightly, but she only offered a casual, noncommittal hum from the other end of the line.
The progress bar crept forward, stopping at 29.
He was just one point away from unlocking the greyed-out gift at 30 Affection.
He tidied his short hair and brushed his tail fur.
In front of the mirror, Bai Xiaodu used two fingers to pull up the corners of his mouth.
He flashed a thoroughly adorable smile.
No letting personal feelings get in the way of a client.
Taking a taxi, Bai Xiaodu did his best to keep his expression neutral as he pushed open the gym doors just like any other day.
Naturally, his coworkers spotted him, and a few compliments quickly came his way.
Only, these compliments sounded more like passive-aggressive sarcasm.
In this line of work, colleagues were always such "supportive" friends—the kind who couldn't wait to see you crash and burn.
Not to mention, Bai Xiaodu was incredibly popular. Any client looking to sign up for a membership would choose him in a heartbeat, completely ignoring the others.
Facing the undisputed king of sales, the others naturally ground their teeth in jealousy.
Besides, while they had almost never heard of anyone actually profiting from a transcendent, they knew plenty of stories about people being toyed with by transcendents until they died.
Especially since this transcendent was a vampire. Frankly speaking, due to their longevity and blood-sucking nature, their eccentric tastes were quite bizarre, and their reputation was rather notorious.
“Our Xiaodu is really something else. Snagging a sugar mommy right off the bat just with that pretty face of his. She's a vampire and a transcendent, too. You've got nothing but easy days ahead of you.”
“Exactly. Usually, only Xiaodu can land any clients. How could us blockheads ever compete? We just have to survive on his scraps...”
Of course, some people found this unfair.
“A bunch of gloating parasites. He never intentionally undercut you guys. On the contrary, even when you all ganged up to squeeze him out, you still couldn't beat him. All you can do now is wag your tongues.”
“Look at you, playing the hero...”
The whispering seemed on the verge of escalating into a full-blown shouting match, but the man of the hour, Bai Xiaodu, remained completely unfazed.
He had nothing to fear. After all, his cheat had arrived.
Making no further excuses, he arrived as agreed.
The Affection level on the character profile card had risen to 30, and a greyed-out gift was now activated.
【Claim】
【Allocatable Attribute Point +1】
Only when he reached the turn of the stairs did he glance back down.
“A top salesman is a top salesman wherever he goes, and trash is just trash wherever it lands.”
The lobby below instantly fell silent, though a few people stared back up at him with cold, superficial smiles.
Their lips silently mouthed threats like "just you wait."
The minotaur boss was already waiting upstairs, guarding the door. Wearing a broad smile, he heartily patted Bai Xiaodu's shoulder while keeping his voice incredibly low.
“You've come to your senses? Once you're inside, treat yourself like a ragdoll. Got it? Don't go asking about Milady's background either. She's far out of our league. Let alone me, even my bosses act like obedient lapdogs when they see her. Heaven only knows why she came to my little place.”
“And don't count on me. If anything goes wrong, I won't even be able to save myself,” he said, before adding a solemn final note. “Take care.”
Bai Xiaodu shrugged and knocked politely on the door.
In that instant, he flashed a perfectly standard, professional smile that, combined with his adorable face, would make anyone's heart melt.
High-paying clients came to enjoy themselves, not to look at a sour, sullen face that looked like it wanted to pick a fight.
The door opened.
Two female bodyguards, who looked exactly like bodyguards should, stared intently at Bai Xiaodu, their heads slowly turning to follow his footsteps.
Bai Xiaodu stopped.
In a high-backed leather chair, the vampire beauty sat with her head lowered, silently flipping through a spellbook.
She was exceptionally tall, and with her chair positioned against the light, her exquisite face remained shrouded in a cold shadow.
The looming shadow practically swallowed Bai Xiaodu whole.
The air carried a sweet, pleasant fragrance.
The room remained dead silent for a full ten minutes.
The pale, slender fingers flipping the pages suddenly paused.
Seemingly losing interest in the book, she tossed it aside. Crossing her long, shapely legs, she shifted into a lazy, comfortable posture. She raised her crimson eyes, slowly studying Bai Xiaodu.
It was as if she were inspecting an intriguing piece of merchandise.
A young man's smile always evoked thoughts of sunshine, and Bai Xiaodu's face happened to be the brightest, cleanest kind.
He was so good-looking it didn't even seem fake.
Unattractive people couldn't provide any emotional value, whereas someone good-looking was a source of emotional value just by standing there.
Her deep wine-red eyes were mesmerizing. Being gazed at by them sparked a strange, rising sense of being needed and a sudden urge to take responsibility.
Nodding slightly, she spoke.
“My name is Xin Hai'an. I am a vampire. Of course, even if I tell you my name, a mortal like you will probably still call me 'Milady' at every turn.”
“There is no room for negotiation here. I have spent my money, purchased your gym's highest-tier membership, and booked your exclusive, one-on-one VIP package.”
Bai Xiaodu maintained his perfect smile, though in his mind, he was already cursing his minotaur boss's entire lineage.
How the hell did I end up 'consenting' to her buying my membership and 'volunteering' for this one-on-one VIP training?
Her voice was swift and clear, making it a pleasure to listen to.
“You can think of it as your boss selling you to me. Therefore, it is only natural that I make use of you.”
“And it is only natural that you prove worthy of your price. Otherwise, I will be very angry. Understood?”
Twitching his fox ears, Bai Xiaodu shifted his smile into an expression of forced seriousness.
“Perfectly understood. It is my honor.”
“Very well.”
She nodded in satisfaction, then rose to her feet.
Stretching her arms behind her head, Xin Hai'an eased her slightly fatigued body.
Her elegant curves rose gracefully, tracing up to perfectly outline a pair of full, soft mounds.
“Do what you are supposed to do.”
Keeping his face serious, Bai Xiaodu nodded.
And then, he began to take off his clothes.
That was right. Without a shred of hesitation, he grabbed his shirt with both hands and pulled it upward.
Xin Hai'an raised an eyebrow.
The two bodyguards' eyes widened in shock.
He followed up "do what you are supposed to do" with this?!
Shring.
A cold gleam flashed in the left bodyguard's hand, while the one on the right had already drawn her gun, swiftly chambering a round.
Never test a transcendent's patience for mortal insolence.
Without a moment's hesitation, the sword-wielding bodyguard stepped forward, intending to shove Bai Xiaodu down by his shoulder and force him to his knees.
The gun-toting guard chambered her weapon, flicked off the safety, and aimed straight at his head. At the slightest hint of trouble, she wouldn't hesitate to paint the room with his blood.
They had seen plenty of fools who tried to challenge authority, but someone who leaped straight to suicide was rare.
Yet, Bai Xiaodu acted as if he saw none of it, his head still caught in his half-removed shirt.
He merely added a single sentence.
But it was enough to make both bodyguards feel like their heads were about to explode.
“By the way, Sister Xin Hai'an, you have to take yours off too.”
Rate on N.U.
